Olin Hours: Week 10, Finals Week, and Spring Break

“A vulnerability in the way Java 7 restricts the permissions of Java applets could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on a vulnerable system.”

What this means is that [essentially] all versions of Java prior to Java 7.11 (build 1.7.0_11-b21) are vulnerable to attackers ignoring security restrictions and executing potentially malicious code on your computer. These attacks on you and your computer could be “crimes from identity theft to making an infected computer part of an ad-hoc computer network that can be used to attack websites” reports Reuters.com. US-CERT also describes the most likely effected users for the vulnerability:

“Any web browser using the Java 7 plug-in is affected. The Java Deployment Toolkit plug-in and Java Web Start can also be used as attack vectors.”

How do I fix this and/or update my computer’s Java version?

The previously mentioned article from US-CERT includes a section on a Solution which initially directs users to download the weekend’s fix/update from Oracle which release notes can be found here and the actual download link can be found on this page. The US-CERT article also provides brief instructions on disabling Java in your browser for those who don’t use Java and won’t notice it being disabled.

• To change your password from an on campus, Windows computer, simply select Ctrl-Alt-Delete and click the Change Password button.
• To change your password from off campus or on a Mac, please use the following site http://webadvisor.augustana.edu and select the change your password link on the right side of the web page under the Contact Us tab.
• To change your email password, go to the top right of your email window, click on your user name, choose Account settings, and click on change password in the security section (view video tutorial here).

For future reference, we will never ask you for your user name and password via email.  You can also spot these scams as they are rarely from an individual; they are usually from some generic name like ‘Augustana College’ or ‘Augustana Web Team’.  For the most part, when we send email out to our users, they’ll come from an individual or helpdesk@augustana.edu, not some generic account.

Useful tips to avoid becoming a victim of a phishing scam:

• If the email has an Augustana.edu address, check to see if it has our security watermark (read this tech tip for more info)
• Be suspicious of any email with urgent requests for  personal financial information
• Don’t use the links in an email to get to any web  page, if you suspect the message might not be authentic
• Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask  for personal financial information
• Always ensure that you’re using a secure website  when submitting credit card or other sensitive information  via your Web browser
• Regularly log into your online accounts
• Regularly check your bank, credit and debit card  statements to ensure that all transactions are legitimate
• Ensure that your browser is up to date and security  patches applied
• Always report “phishing” or “spoofed” e-mails

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact the helpdesk at helpdesk@augustana.edu.

1. Use the Mail & Calendar apps that comes from Apple

This requires you to turn on Mail or Calendar syncing under Settings…Mail, Contacts, and Calendars.  You then use the native iOS apps that come preinstalled.  The con to this is that your interface will be completely different from other Google Apps web-based experiences.  One major plus, however, is that you can access email and calendar information when you are away from a WiFi connection or Cellular Data.  Also, users have noticed that calendar changes can take around 15 minutes or so to be reflected on the web.

2. Use Safari or other browser and view the mobile version of your calendar/email

Google detects that you are on a mobile device and presents a streamlined version of your email or calendar.  Some features are removed or are limited to make the mobile experience easier.  To go this route, typically you just log in to your web-based Google Apps just like you would on a desktop computer, however your browser is detected to be mobile and you are redirected to the mobile site.  The mobile site uses less data (WiFi or Cellular) and therefore should be fairly fast.  However, you can not access this version unless you have a data connection of some kind.

3. Use  Safari or other browser and view the desktop version of your calendar/email

In the mobile version of Google Apps email and calendars, you should see a link that says “Desktop” at the bottom of the page.  Switching to this view should present a version of your email or calendar that looks very similar to the version on your desktop.  However, since mobile browsers are limited, some features may not appear or work correctly.  However, it’s nice to have the option!

Now that most users at Augustana are using Windows 7,  a great new feature available is Windows DVD Maker.  You can find it under Start/All Programs, or use the Search feature.  A great tutorial on how to use it was posted at SevenForums.com — I am embedding it in this post.

   Warning

Windows DVD Maker is only available in the Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions.

Here’s how:

1. Insert a blank DVD into your DVD drive, then click on Burn a DVD video disc using Windows DVD Maker in the AutoPlay dialog box when it appears. (see screenshot below)

A) Go to step 3.

OR

2. Open the Start Menu, click on All Programs, and click on the Windows DVD Maker shortcut. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: The Windows DVD Maker EXE file path is C:\Program Files\DVD Maker\DVDMaker.exe.

3. If displayed, click on the Choose Photos and Videos button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If you do not want to see this window again the next time you open Windows DVD Maker, then check the Don’t show this page again box.

4. To Add and Remove Pictures and Video

A) If you have an existing msdvd project file that you want to open and finish, then click on File and Open project file. Navigate to the folder that contains a Windows DVD Maker project file (.msdvd file extension) that you want to use to create your DVD, select the project file, and then click on Open. (see screenshot below)

OR

B) Click on Add items, then navigate to and select the videos and pictures that you want to add to your DVD, and then click on Add. (see screenshots below)

   Note

To select several pictures or videos, press and hold the Ctrl key, and then click each picture or video that you want to add. You can add these type of picture and video files.

C) Continue to Add items or Remove items until you have finished. (see screenshots below)

5. To Arrange the Play Order of Added Items

A) Select a added item that you want to move, then either click on  arrows to move that item up or down in the play order. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You can also drag and drop them up and down the order list.

B) At the upper right corner, select the drive letter for your DVD burner in the drop down arrow menu. (see screenshot above)

6. To Change the DVD Video Options

A) Click on the Options link. (see screenshot above)

B) Select the settings that you want to use to create your DVD with, then click on OKwhen done. (see screenshot below)

   Note

• Choose DVD playback settings. Select one of the following options, depending on how you want your DVD to play:
  • If you want the DVD menu to display when the disc is inserted into a DVD player, click Start with DVD menu.
  • If you want the video to play automatically when the disc is inserted in a DVD player and show the menu at the end, click Play video and end with DVD menu.
  • If you want the video to play automatically and loop continuously, clickPlay video in a continuous loop. You will still be able to view the menu if you press the Menu button on the remote control for your DVD player.
• DVD aspect ratio. This option lets you determine if a slide show on the DVD is displayed at a 4:3 (standard) or 16:9 (widescreen) aspect ratio. The aspect ratio is expressed as the relation of the width to the height of the slide show. When deciding which aspect ratio to choose, consider the aspect ratio for the monitor or TV on which your slide show will be played.
• Video format. This option lets you choose the video format that will be used for the video on your DVD. The options are NTSC and PAL. Most of the time you will not need to change this setting. However, you might need to change it if you plan to share your DVD with friends or family who live in a part of the world that uses a different video format. The video format that is selected by default is based on the
  “Region and Language” settings in Control Panel.
• DVD burner speed. This option lets you select the speed to burn your DVD. The default is Fastest. Some DVD burners won’t burn at full speed if you’re using certain kinds of DVDs. If you have a problem burning a disc, try selecting Medium or Slow.
• Temporary file location. If you want to change the storage location for temporary files that are created when making a DVD, click Browse, select the new folder location, and then click OK. For the best results when choosing a temporary file location, choose a folder on a hard disk drive partition that has at least 5 gigabytes (GB) of available disk space and a fast write speed.

7. Click on Next. (see screenshot below step 5A)

8. Select a Menu Style that you want to use for your DVD. (see screenshot below)

9. To Change the DVD Menu Text

A) Click on Menu text on the toolbar. (see screenshot above)

B) Now do one or more of the following below that you would like to do. (see screenshot below)

NOTE: The Notes button and Notes page only appear on the DVD if you include information in these fields.

• Click the Font box, and then select the font for the menu text.
• Click the Font Color (A), Bold (B), or Italic (I) buttons to select the font color and formatting.
• In the DVD title box, type the title that you want to use for your DVD.
• In the Play button box, type a label for the button people can click to play your DVD.
• In the Scenes button box, type a label for the button that people can click to view the different scenes on the DVD.
• In the Notes button box, type a label for the button that people can click to view any notes you enter for the DVD.
• In the Notes box, type any notes that you want to appear on your DVD.

C) A static preview of your changes appears in the preview pane on the right side of the screen. (see screenshot above)

D) To preview the DVD menu and see how it looks, click on Preview. Click on OK when you’re done previewing the DVD. (see screenshot below)

E) When done making changes, click on Change Text to save the text changes and to return to the previous page. (see screenshot below step 9B)

10. To Customize the DVD Menu Style

A) Click on Customize menu on the toolbar. (see screenshot below step

B) Now do one or more of the following below that you would like to do. (see screenshot below)

• Click the Font box, and then select a font.
• Click the Font Color (A), Bold (B), or Italic (I) buttons to select the font color and formatting for your DVD menu text.
• If you select a menu style with both foreground and background video options, near the Foreground video box, click Browse, locate the video or picture that you want to appear in the foreground, and then click Add.
• To have a picture or video appear as the background for the main DVD menu, near the Background video box, click Browse, locate the video or picture that you want to appear in the background, and then click Add.
• If you want music to play while the DVD menu is displayed, near the Menu audiobox, click Browse, locate the audio file (such as an MP3 or WMA file) that you want to use, and then click Add.
• Click the Scenes button styles box, and then select the shape for the scenes buttons on your DVD.

C) To preview the DVD menu and see how it looks, click on Preview. Click on OK when you’re done previewing the DVD. (see screenshot below 9D)

D) When done making changes, click on Change Style to save your changes and to return to the previous page. (see screenshot above)

11. To Choose the Settings for a Slide Show on the DVD

A) Click on Slide show on the toolbar. (see screenshot below step

B) Now do one or more of the following below that you would like to do. (see screenshot below)

• Click Add music, find the music files (such as MP3 or WMA files) that you want to use, and then click Add. Depending on the length and settings for the slide show, you might want to add additional music. To do so, add another music file.
• If you added more than one audio file and you want to change the order in which the music files play in the slide show, click an audio file that you want to move, and then click Move up or Move down.
• To remove an audio file from the list, in the Music for slide show list, select the audio file, and then click Remove.
• To make the slide show and music last the same amount of time, select theChange slide show length to match music length check box. The amount of time each picture displays is shown next to Picture length.
• To specify the duration for each picture to display in the slide show, clear theChange slide show length to match music length check box (if it’s selected), and then click the amount of time (in seconds) in the Picture length list for each picture to display.
• To choose the kind of transition you want to use between pictures, select a transition type from the Transition box.
• To add pan and zoom effects to the pictures you include in your slide show, clickUse pan and zoom effects for pictures.

C) If you want to see the slide show as it will appear when you play your DVD, clickPreview, and then click the slide show. Click OK when you’re done previewing. (see screenshot below step 9D)

D) When done making changes, click on Change Slide Show to save your changes and to return to the previous page. (see screenshot above)

12. To Save your Windows DVD Maker Project
NOTE: This will allow you to save this current Windows DVD Maker project as a msdvd file that you can open in step 4A above to either finish the project later, make more changes, or burn another DVD using this project. You can also do this at any point while creating your project.

A) Click on File and Save as. (see screenshot below)

B) Navigate to where you want to save your project at, type in a name for your project, then click on Save. (see screenshot below)

13. To Burn your DVD -

A) If you have not already, place a blank DVD in your DVD drive. If the AutoPlay opens, you can just close it.

B) Click on the Burn button at the bottom right corner. (see screenshot below)

C) You will now see this below. The time it takes to burn your DVD depends on a few things, such as the amount of video you added to the DVD, your computer system resources, as well as your DVD burner.

D) When it’s finished burning your DVD, you can do one or more of the following below that you would like to do. (see screenshot below):

• To make another copy of the current DVD, remove the burned DVD, insert a new recordable DVD, and then click Make another copy of this DVD.
• To close the page, click Close.

14. When done, close Windows DVD Maker.

That’s it,
Shawn

If you have used Dropbox, Google Drive works in much the same way. You install a Mac or PC client, and a folder is created on your hard drive. Initially, it is loaded with all of the files in your Google Docs area that you own. On the PC it creates a system tray icon where you can log in/out or other functions. On the Mac, it appears as a drop-down menu up in your menu bar.

It corresponds to a folder, C:\Users\yourusername\Google Drive. You can then save documents in that folder in the native file format.  Files that are Google Docs (Google document, spreadsheet, presentation ,etc) will launch a web browser when you open them.  Other documents will open in their own viewer or editor.

I copied a large file in there to test the speed, and it seems similar to Dropbox. You are basically still accessing files on your hard drive, but Google syncs those files to your Google Drive (Google Docs) area. If your computer at home also was running Google Drive, the files would be waiting there when you got home.

Here are their rates for upgrades to your Google Drive storage area.

In short, Google Drive seems to be a great way to store and sync documents between multiple devices.   If you’re a paying DropBox user you may want to consider moving to Google’s free 5GB offering or one of the upgraded plans.

We have recently deployed a newly added security feature within the Google Apps Email system. It specifically designed for email that has a “spoofed” or fraudulent email from: address that may state it has been sent from a user within the @augustana.edu domain. This tactic is normally employed by spammers and the like to attempt to circumvent normal spam blocking sweeps. Now any email that has originated from our augustana.edu Google Apps email system is digitally signed with an electronic water mark and users can now check their own email if they have doubts as to the validity of the item.

Below is a screen shot with the newly added signed by security field highlighted. By hovering over the “down arrow / triangle” after the list of recipients in an open email a “Show details” popup will appear, clicking it will bring up the mini window pictured in the screen shot below. The user can then see whether this email was digitally signed by our Google Apps system.

How the new security measure looks in Google Apps

Veteran Mac users will note that this capability has been built-in to the Mac OS for years. On the Mac, use Command-Shift-3 to take a whole-screen shot (which is dropped as a file on your desktop) or use Command-Shift-4 to snip out a region of your screen.

Happy snipping!

Google+ is Google’s social network. Like Facebook, Google+ allows you to share information with your friends, acquaintances, co-workers, classmates, and the world. Augustana uses Google Apps for our email, calendar, document sharing, and more – which means that Augustana users will now be able to create Google+ accounts with their Augustana email addresses.

While originally only available to Gmail accounts, Google+ is now available to Google Apps subscribers. After some initial testing within ITS, we have decided to make it available to the entire campus. There are some really cool things that you can do with Google+ including hangouts (where you make yourself available for text/audio/video chat with up to 10 people) and circles (friend groups that allow you to share information with only the appropriate people).

If you already have a Google+ account with another Gmail account, you can enable multi-sign in and easily switch between your accounts. For more information, please view this Google+ support page: http://support.google.com/plus/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1254839&topic=1347963&ctx=topic

Important note: Google+ requires users to use their real name when creating accounts which is illegal to do for people under 18. Therefore, Google+ requires users to be 18 to use their service. If you sign up for Google+ and are not yet 18, Google may suspend not only your Google+ account but your general Google Apps account as well. Therefore, DO NOT sign up for Google+ if you are younger than 18!

The ITS support page provides links to the official Google+ support. Check it out to learn a bit more about the service before it is rolled out to the campus next week: http://www.augustana.edu/x39063.xml.

You can change your password in either Webadvisor or Moodle using the “Change Your Password” Link.

In Webadvisor

The Change your Password link is at the top right of the screen under the Log In, Main Menu, and Contact Us tabs

In Moodle

The Change your password link is in the Main Menu in the left side of the screen